Class C: 10 counties with smallest tarmacked rural road network in Kenya in 2026

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- The Economic Survey 2026 revealed that Mandera County has zero kilometres of paved rural roads out of a total network of 721.4 km

- Only 18.3% of Kenya's rural road network is paved, with northern and eastern counties recording coverage below 1%

Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.

Mandera County has no paved rural roads whatsoever, according to the Economic Survey 2026, placing it at the bottom of a national ranking that exposes deep infrastructure inequalities between Kenya's counties.

The survey found that Kenya's total Class C rural road network grew from 18,321 kilometres in 2024 to 28,150 kilometres in 2025, largely because of the identification and mapping of previously unrecorded roads.

However, the bulk of that expansion was in unpaved roads, which rose from 13,467 kilometres to 22,987 kilometres. Paved roads edged up only marginally, from 4,854 kilometres to 5,163 kilometres, leaving just 18.3% of the rural network tarmacked.

Class C roads are national trunk roads that connect regionally important centres to each other or to higher-class A and B roads and are managed by national authorities such as the Kenya Rural Roads Authority.

Counties With the Shortest Paved Road Networks

Mandera's entire 721.4-kilometre rural road network is unpaved, making it the only county in the country with zero kilometres of tarmac rural roads.

Turkana follows with just 0.7 kilometres of paved roads out of a total network of 1,019.4 kilometres, a paved coverage of 0.07%. Marsabit and Wajir each record 4.5 kilometres of paved roads, out of networks totalling 1,083.9 kilometres and 1,178.6 kilometres, respectively.

Kajiado County's position in the bottom five is notable given its proximity to Nairobi. Despite its role as a corridor to tourism destinations such as the Maasai Mara, the county has only 2.1 kilometres of paved rural roads out of 762.8 kilometres total, a coverage of 0.3%.

Which counties have the shortest paved road networks?

Rank | County | Paved Roads (Km) | Unpaved Roads (Km) | Total Roads (Km) | % Paved |

1 | Mandera | 0 | 721.4 | 721.4 | 0% |

2 | Turkana | 0.7 | 1,018.7 | 1,019.4 | 0.07% |

3 | Marsabit | 4.5 | 1,079.4 | 1,083.9 | 0.4% |

4 | Wajir | 4.5 | 1,174.1 | 1,178.6 | 0.4% |

5 | Kajiado | 2.1 | 760.7 | 762.8 | 0.3% |

6 | Lamu | 10.9 | 190.6 | 201.4 | 5.4% |

7 | Tana River | 13.9 | 457.1 | 471.0 | 3.0% |

8 | Garissa | 16.2 | 1,102.8 | 1,119.0 | 1.4% |

9 | Taita Taveta | 18.2 | 645.3 | 663.5 | 2.7% |

10 | Kwale | 139.2 | 670.6 | 809.8 | 17.2% |

Road Inventory Surveys Expose Scale of the Gap

Several counties in the list recorded sharp increases in their unpaved road totals in 2025 following the Road Inventory and Condition Surveys (RICS), which mapped previously unrecorded routes.

Marsabit's unpaved roads surged by 130.9% to 1,079.4 kilometres, while Garissa's rose by 89.6% to 1,102.8 kilometres.

Turkana recorded a 71.4% rise to 1,018.7 kilometres, and Wajir registered a 62.4% increase to 1,174.1 kilometres. The increases reflect expanded mapping, not new construction.

Counties with longest paved roads

At the other end of the spectrum, Murang'a County has the longest paved Class C rural road network in Kenya, with 389.6 kilometres of tarmac, according to the Economic Survey 2026.

Kiambu follows with 387.6 kilometres, while Nakuru ranks third with 376.4 kilometres of paved roads.

Kenya’s total Class C rural road network expanded from 18,321 kilometres in 2024 to 28,150 kilometres in 2025, largely due to new roads identified through the 2025 Road Inventory and Condition Surveys.

The government had projected KSh 168.7 billion in road expenditure for the 2025/26 financial year, including KSh 97.7 billion for development and KSh 71 billion for maintenance and repairs.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.